The Bandinis 2012: an utterly exhaustive review of the Serie A season | Paolo Bandini
From ghost goals to moped escapes, the best games and worst gaffes, it's our end-of-season Italian football awards"Grazie Ragazzi." With those two simple words Gazzetta dello Sport bid farewell not just to a season but an era, heralding the final weeke...
Napoli ruin Del Piero’s final farewell with Coppa Italia win over Juventus | Paolo Bandini
Twenty two years after winning their last piece of silverware, Napoli finally got their hands on a trophy and denied Juve the doubleThis time the world did not stop for Alessandro Del Piero. When the fourth official's board went up at 10.33pm on Sunday...
Unbeaten Juventus scale the barriers to be crowned champions again | Paolo Bandini
There was pandemonium in Trieste and amid the chaos Juve's manager Antonio Conte savoured a title he had mastermindedThey began to scale the barriers around the pitch long before the final whistle blew. Six long years these fans had waited to see Juven...
Fiorentina become fight club to put Buffon’s blunder in the shade | Paolo Bandini
Juventus are two games away from an unbeaten season, their title hopes were knocked by a late Lecce equaliser – but Delio Rossi's clash with Adem Ljajic takes centre stageJust when it seemed the Scudetto race was over, this happens. With 84 minutes g...
Champions League chase hots up as ghost whistle blows Lazio off course | Paolo Bandini
A remarkable incident at the end of Udinese v Lazio rounded off the latest drama in the race for third place in Serie AIn Serie A, it's never over until the fat lady sings. Even then, you better make sure you're listening to the right one. Lazio's play...
Genoa Ultras get shirty as protest forces match suspension | Paolo Bandini
Troublemakers forced a 45-minute delay of Genoa's defeat to Siena, overshadowing Juve's latest step towards the ScudettoJuventus might just have struck the decisive blow in the Serie A title race on Sunday night, routing Roma 4-0 to establish a three p...
Piermario Morosini’s death was tragedy that not only Livorno suffered | Paolo Bandini
Case of 25-year-old midfielder had many similarities with the recent Fabrice Muamba affair, although this time there was no happy endingThe world was not watching when Piermario Morosini fell. Pescara's match against Livorno on Saturday was available t...
‘Sensation’ at Catania as Lecce’s campaign takes another twist | Paolo Bandini
A late turnaround saw Lecce secure a remarkable 2-1 victory at Catania to cap a strange few weeks for Serse Cosmi's sideThe line has been trotted out so often lately as to become a little tedious. "Clamoroso al Cibali" (sensation at the Cibali [stadium...
Italian football: Amauri uses purple patch to finally deliver for Juventus | Paolo Bandini
Despite making no secret of his contempt for his former club Juventus, Fiorentina's Brazilian striker did them a huge favourJean-Claude Blanc was in no doubt. "Amauri was our top priority," declared the then Juventus director after signing the striker ...
Catania continue to impress as Milan rue yet another ghost goal | Paolo Bandini
Though Milan raged against Robinho's 'goal', the talk in Italy should have been about Vincenzo Montella's impact at CataniaAdriano Galliani did not stop to consult his rulebook this time around. Not two weeks have passed since the Milan vice-president ...
Italian press reaction: Milan’s perfect match ended in third minute
• 'Not conceding a goal at home is the worst good result'• 'Ref was Milan's most useful Swede, much more than Ibra'"Milan fans, choose which side you are on," writes Luigi Garlando in Thursday's Gazzetta dello Sport. "Those with regrets, or those w...
How one little transfer could have a huge impact on Serie A | Paolo Bandini